West Lothian answered - what was the question?
For quite some time now Ken Clarke and his democracy taskforce have been toiling away in Westminster hunting for an answer to the West Lothian Question.
Obviously not just any answer would do…
It looks to me like Dave C may have had words with Ken - possibly at the taskforces launch…
“Now remember Ken - I want to be PM of the whole UK not just sour little England, right? So don’t do anything to rock the boat. Better an imperfect Union than a broken one eh? That’s the spirit. Oh and one more thing, for God’s sake don’t piss the Scots off. Got that? Good show. Lord Rushcliffe does have a certain ring to it doesn’t it? Toodle-pip”
If you thought that Tory ideas about devolution couldn’t get any fudgier than that English Grand Committee thing or English Votes on English Laws - hang onto your fillings.
The answer to the West Lothian Question is… to exclude Northern Irish, Scottish and Welsh MPs from voting on the committee stages of England only legislation.
Of course it would be rude and petty to deny non English MP’s a vote on the actual final English laws. So the DUP and Scottish Labour would carry on as normal.
Which as far as I can see - achieves - precisely - bugger all.
So what have they been doing all this time? My guess is that instead of toiling they’ve been spending most days in a parliament smoking lounge; drinking fine wine and brandy, having a smoke, playing a bit of Jenga, with Thelonious Monk rattling away in the background. Nice.
Ken explains all here talking on yesterday’s Today programme.
